Justice drops charges against Swartz after activist kills himself

[kpete]

Source: The Hill

Justice drops charges against Swartz after activist kills himself
By Brendan Sasso - 01/14/13 11:52 AM ET

The Justice Department dropped its charges against Internet activist Aaron Swartz on Monday, citing his death.

Swartz, who was facing computer hacking charges, hanged himself in his Brooklyn apartment on Friday. He was 26.

The filing is standard when the defendant in a case has died.

Federal prosecutors indicted Swartz in 2011, accusing him of breaking into a computer network at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and downloading 4.8 million documents from JSTOR, a subscription service of academic articles.




Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/technology/276965-justice-department-drops-charges-against-internet-activist-swartz#ixzz2I0JAGq5u

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“He didn’t go into detail on what they might be, but suffice it to say, there will be some considered that will not require Congressional action,” she added.

http://tv.msnbc.com/2013/01/14/obama-has-some-19-areas-to-use-executive-orders-for-gun-control/

[Kalidurga]

1. Isn't it a bit difficult to convict the dead.

I don't even want to get into the difficulty of defending a dead client either.

[blueclown]

2. Carmen Ortiz should be arrested and charged with involuntary manslaughter.

[99th_Monkey]

3. Obama's DoJ was out for blood, and they got it, one way or another.

I still seriously doubt this was really a "suicide" honestly.

[indepat]

4. How apropos for Justice to drop charges against someone after he had killed himself

while facing those charges and especially so in the wake of not having filed charges against any of the banksters who perpetrated a massive fraud of such breadth, scope, and magnitude as to badly damage and almost wreck the financial system and economy. Kudos to Justice for a job well done and keeping all things in perspective.

[dixiegrrrrl]

15. What you said is prefectly stated in this:

image which kpete posted in another thread:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022195402

[coffeenap]

5. So sad... I am going to the funeral tomorrow

and will join Anonymous as they protest the Westboro Baptist Church asses.

[blaze]

6. Thom Hartmann

spoke highly of him on his show today.

[ReRe]

11. Amy Goodman....

....yesterday, 1-14-13, pretty much devoted her whole show to Aaron Swartz. Lawrence Lessig was on live and it was very difficult for him to speak. At least one third of the show was Aaron in his own words at an Illinois University a little over a year ago. It was a great show. If interested, watch at:

http://www.democracynow.org

[Mojorabbit]

13. So young and so talented. It is very sad. nt

[ReRe]

14. Amy had a little more on him this AM...

... He was a "beautiful mind", if there ever was one. What a handsome young man with so much going for him. Probably could have grown into a different version of Steve Jobs, if the bad side of our government had just given him a fucking chance. Well, this is a bad mark on someone in our Gov't, that's all I can say.

[RILib]

7. consequences

If you engage in civil disobedience by breaking the law (committing theft in this case), you take the consequences.

[PaulaFarrell]

8. So you think an appropriate consequence for 'theft' is death

or at least 35 years in prison. Interesting...

[reorg]

9. no "theft" was committed

the charges were derived from the accusation that "terms of service" were allegedly violated.

[truebluegreen]

10. Thank you for your concern.

Enjoy your stay here.

[ReRe]

12. K&R

Holy, Holy, Holy Moly....
That is an unfuckingbelieavable law.
Hound them until they commit suicide, and then clear the charges.
Kafkaesque? What is the word I'm looking for?
Orwellian?

[KamaAina]

16. How very magnanimous of them.

Anonymous has already expressed its displeasure with the situation by hacking Justice as well as MIT. 4chan might not be far behind.